with these words, praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. The psalmist, and it's not written,
it doesn't say who wrote it. I don't know who wrote it. But
it was inspired, moved upon by the Spirit of God upon some man's
hand to write it. Praise ye the Lord. Here's what the psalmist is saying.
All ye, praise ye the Lord, all ye, all ye saints of the Lord,
say hallelujah. to Jehovah. Capital L, capital
O, capital R, capital D. He is worthy to be praised. Oh, that I would praise the Lord
as I ought. I was just mulling over in my
mind a moment ago these words. Praise ye the Lord. I want to do that. I want to. Say praise the Lord to the Father
in your heart, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah! To Him that chose
to show mercy and compassion to sinners. Hallelujah to Him who redeemed
His people from their sins, and hallelujah to Him who called
us by His grace, gave us faith to believe, and sealed us until
the day of redemption, and teaches us of Christ, the blessed Holy
Spirit, the three-in-one. Praise ye Jehovah. Praise the Lord. And not only
does the psalmist exhort God's people to praise the Lord, he
says, I will praise the Lord. Because of a new heart, because
of a new mind, a new will, a new love, a new desire, he says, We'll praise the Lord. You know,
it's a miracle of God's grace that anybody possesses a heart
to praise the Lord. And I know this, we don't praise
Him as we ought. We don't honor Him as we should. But I tell you, the greatest
miracle is that I would want to, that I would have a heart
to. that the Lord would give me a
desire to bless His holy name and a longing to be thankful
for that which He has mercifully and compassionately done for
me. That's what he said. He said,
I'm going to have mercy and compassion on whomsoever I will. And I know
He's going to. And I'm convinced that I'm looking
at some folks tonight that He has. I want to praise the Lord. I want it for me. But then the
psalmist said, I will praise the Lord with my whole heart. This is what he's saying. And
I know that there's not a believer in here that will say, I praise
Him as I ought to. But here's what, when he says
with a whole heart, with an earnest and a sincere affection, there's
not a believer that doesn't want that. I want that. I want with a resolution in my
heart and a determination, I want to bless Him, praise Him, honor
Him, say back to Him what He said to us. You know, when we
agree in our heart to the Lord, in our heart, We praise Him. Lord, Your Word is worthy to
be heard. Your Word is worthy to be believed. Your Word is worthy to be spoken
and to be exalted. Praise ye the Lord. I want to praise Him privately.
I want to. I want to praise Him When I pray,
I want to praise Him when I think upon Him. But I want to praise
Him also, the Scripture says, in the assembly of the upright
and in the congregation. You know, where two or three
are gathered together in my name, this is what He said. I'm in
the midst of you. Now let me tell you, praise unto
the Lord for me to be there. For me to be there. If the Lord is here, if the Lord
has graced us with His presence, A writer said, I'll praise the
Lord with my whole heart, with my sincere heart, in the assembly
of God's people, in the congregation that God Almighty has raised
up. The psalmist says, you praise
the Lord. He said, I will praise the Lord. I want to practice what I preach.
I want to do that. I don't want to be inconsistent. I don't. I see so much inconsistency
in myself, but I want to walk honorably before the Lord and
before His people. I want to be not merely seen
of them. I don't want to do what I do
to be seen of men. And there's enough of that in
me to make me sick. I don't want to do that, but
I know I do it. I don't want to, but I do. Oh, but this is so blessedly
accomplished when God's people come together and they hear the
gospel preached. Where the Lord has raised up
a pastor, given him a heart to prepare and pray and ask God's
blessing. I was tore all to pieces yesterday
afternoon. I was tore all to pieces. All
to pieces. Because I didn't know where I
was going tonight. And I thought to myself, came to the end of
the day and I thought, that is so good for me. That just shows
me, I need Him every hour. I need Him. I need to be instructed
by the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. I'll praise
Him. I'll praise Him in the assembly
of the upright where He's raised up the gospel in the congregation. I want to be an example. And
I didn't just come up with that. I didn't just come up with that.
I got that from Scripture. Listen to this. Paul's instruction
to Timothy. 1 Timothy 4.12. Let no man despise
thy youth. But be thou an example of the
believers in word, in conversation or walk, in charity or love,
in spirit, in faith, in purity. Paul told Timothy, he said, Timothy,
praise the Lord. You praise the Lord. Be an example. Walk worthy. of the vocation
to which you've been called. We bless and praise the Lord
of glory when we, by faith, exercise ourselves before others as examples
of God's grace. We've been made so by the grace
of God, haven't we? That's what Paul said. I am what
I am by the grace of God. Now I looked at this whole chapter,
chapter 11, only 10 verses, but I've come down to one verse that
I want to look at for just a very few minutes. Verse number 9. Here's what it is. I started off by saying it, verse
1. Praise ye the Lord. Say hallelujah. I will say hallelujah
with my whole heart in the assembly upright and in the congregation. Why? Why? Here it is. He sent redemption unto his people. He hath commanded his covenant
forever. Holy and reverend is his name. Hallelujah. This life is going to be over. It's going to be over before
any of us know it. I've said before, this might
be the last time that we ever meet together just like this.
Somebody in this congregation is closer to dying than anybody
else. I don't know who it is, maybe
me. We've recently seen, it's just over. It's just over. Here's the heart of us saying
unto the Lord, Hallelujah. He sent redemption unto His people. Now listen, the Lord sent the
Redeemer. He sent the Redeemer. But do
you know that all men, by and large, that have any religious
affiliation, they believe that. They believe that. Ask anybody
that goes to church, do you think the Lord Jesus Christ is the
Redeemer? Oh, I believe that. Demons believe
that. They know that. But that's not
what the psalmist said. He says he sent redemption. to His people. Now you listen
to that and tell me if you don't hear election. You tell me if you don't hear
God's sovereign grace. He who chose to show mercy and
compassion to whomsoever He would. He sent not, I want to say this
correctly, He sent the Redeemer. But that's not what he said.
He said he sent redemption. He sent redemption unto his people. He sent deliverance and salvation
to all that he everlastingly loved, to all that he gave to
the Lord Jesus Christ, to the sheep, to the elect, He sent
redemption. Look at John 17.2. We've read
this in the high priestly prayer of our Lord. He sent redemption. The surety of it. John 17.2,
"...as thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him." It's
a sure thing. He sent redemption. Look at Exodus 3, Exodus 3, 9
and 10. Whenever the Lord sent Moses,
Exodus 3, 9 and 10, whenever the Lord sent Moses into Egypt,
what did he say? Now, therefore, behold, the cry
of the children of Israel is coming to me, And I have also
seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppressed them. Come now therefore, and I will
send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people,
the children of Israel, out of Egypt." Who did Moses go to get? God's people. That's who he went
to get. You've given me power over all
flesh. that I should give eternal life
to as many as you've given me." And he's going to finish the
work. You go into Egypt and you tell Pharaoh, you let my people
go. Whenever the angel spoke to Joseph, Mary's husband, what did he say? He said that which is conceived
in hers of the Holy Ghost. Call His name Jesus, Savior. Why? For He shall save His people
from their sins. He's going to save His people.
He's going to save His people. All that the Father giveth me,
shall come to me, him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out." In the day of God's power, who's going to be willing? Thy people. Thy people. Salvation is for God's people. The Lord's people. Hallelujah! sent redemption unto his people. His people. Purchased them by
blood and powerfully rescued them from the bondage of sins
by irresistible grace. He sent redemption. You're coming. I'm going to give you a new heart.
I'm going to give you a new mind. I'm going to reveal to you that
you're my people. I'm your God. And they come. And all this that was done, He
did according to an everlasting covenant of grace. Hallelujah! He sent redemption unto His people. He hath commanded His covenant
forever. By divine decree, He made His
everlasting covenant of grace to be a settled thing, a settled
issue. This is what David said under
the inspiration of God's Spirit. It was ordered in all things. And sure, I don't know the depth
of the all things in God's everlasting covenant of grace, but I can
tell you this, everything that's needful is ordered. And everything
that's done by God is sure. He has sent redemption. And God's people delight in God's
everlasting covenant of grace to them. In His unfailing consolation
in their heart and their soul, they delight to muse upon that
everlastingness. Look at Proverbs 8. We've looked
at this many times. That's okay. That's okay. I think
to myself, as Paul said, he said for me to say the same things
to you. He says, not grievous for me.
He said, for you it's safe. I mean, listen to what is safe.
Before there was any mountains, before there were heavens, before
there was any creature, before anything ever walked on this
earth, Almighty God established the security of His people in
Christ Jesus. Look at Proverbs 8, 23. And this is so. You know that's
right. This is so. Before there was
anything but God, Here's what the Lord said, I was set up from
everlasting, from the beginning or ever the earth was. When there
were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before
the hills was, I was brought forth. Before the hills was I
brought forth. While as yet He had not made
the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust
of the world. When He prepared the heavens, I was there. When
He set a compass upon the face of the depth, when He established
the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep, when
He gave to the sea His decree that the waters should not pass
His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth,
then I was by Him as one brought up with Him And I was daily his
delight, rejoicing always before him." And this is the amazing
thing. Listen to this. Listen to what
he was rejoicing in. Rejoicing in the habitable part
of his earth. And my delights were with the
sons of men before they were ever made. He knew us. Before we were ever called into
being, before God Almighty ever took dust and formed a man and
breathed into him and gave him life, the Lord said, I knew you. I delighted in you. Delighted
in us, his people, his elect. Chosen in him before the foundation
of the world. He said, you're mine. And I love
you. And you're going to be with me. Scripture sets forth that we
have great reason to say, hallelujah. He sent redemption unto His people. He hath commanded, He hath ordered,
ordained His covenant forever. God's people rejoice in the everlastingness. Doesn't it just thrill your heart
when you try to contemplate? I can't think, and you can't
either. We can't think in eternal. I mean, it just goes back just
so far and then I'm just, Seth, I've just kind of lost it, you
know. I just, I go back just, I just can't go back very far
at all. I can only really go back into
my experience. You know, where I started remembering
stuff as a child. I mean, there's some things I
can remember as a child, go back, it's still there in my brain.
But that's as far as I can go back. But God's Word says, before
anything was, He knew and delighted in His people. I'll tell you
another thing they praise the Lord with their whole heart for. as they consider the immutability
of that covenant, it don't change. It don't change. Time or eternity,
life or death, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness,
peril, sword, what is going to separate us from the love of
Christ? Nothing! Nothing! He says, You're
in my Father's hand. Chosen in Him. Again, I hear
it, and I know it so, and I believe it. And one of these days I'm
going to see it, and understand it, and know Him as He is. But I can tell you this, He said,
I'm the Lord. And I change not. And therefore,
you sons of Jacob..." You know, Jacob was one he loved. Esau
was one he hated. He said, therefore, you sons
of Jacob are not consumed. And the reason you're not consumed
is because I don't change. Chosen in Him, stay in Him. Thirdly, God's people praise
the Lord with their whole heart as they consider the fullness
of God's covenant. Now, I understand. I know this.
I'm way over our heads here. I understand this. But I'm telling
you, it is an issue of praise and adoration when I consider
that covenant that's everlasting, that covenant that's immutable,
and then the fullness of that covenant. Chosen in Him. Colossians 2.9 says, For in Him
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. You know,
there's times when you try to explain something and all you
do is ruin it. It would be a whole lot better
just to say what the Word says and leave it right there. In
Him. I would just muddy the water. But I can tell you this, in Him
dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead. Mike, I don't even want to try
to explain that. The fullness of the Godhead,
the fullness of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit Bodily. And being chosen in Him, and
in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, I know
this, if I be found in Him, and I believe I am, I believe Him,
I believe Him, if He be my surety, then God is my surety. If He is my hope, and He has
promised to His people, I will never leave you and I will never
forsake you, then God is my hope. Not my will, not my baptism,
not my profession, not my faith, God is my hope. If Christ be my refuge, The Lord
said to Moses, Moses asking, he said, show me your glory.
He said, I'm going to cause all my goodness to pass before you.
He said, but I'm going to put you in the cleft of a rock. I'm going to put you in the rock
himself. If he be my city of refuge, then
I can tell you this, God is my refuge. The Lord told Abraham,
I am your great shield. I am your shield. I'm your peace. I'm your salvation. I'm your
protection. And the Lord's people praise
Him fourthly with their whole heart as they contemplate the
graciousness of His covenant. You know, the Lord gave His law
on Sinai. He gave His law. Now, what He
did was, He gave in written form, in two tablets, the expression,
here's God's demand right here. Here's God's demand for righteousness. And I can't do it. Not that there's anything wrong
with the law, but because of the weakness of my flesh, Keeping
God's law is impossible. I cannot do it. Keeping the law
would be a covenant of works, and by the deeds of the law shall
no flesh be justified before Him. I know that. And therefore, I have no security
if I'm not found in that everlasting covenant of God's grace. God's people rejoice in the security
of His graciousness. God's mercy and grace is the
only foundation for life eternal. I know people talk about, you
know, and I've read it in Scriptures. You have too. What does Scripture
say? He starts naming them off. All
these I've kept from my youth up. I'm so thankful that the
Lord gave me a heart to understand I hadn't kept those from my youth
up. I hadn't done that. That Paul the Apostle, when he
was Saul of Tarsus, saying concerning the law, I was blameless. A believer
thinks, oh, I'm so thankful for that covenant of grace, that
the Lord would do something for me that I couldn't do for myself. He saved me. He rescued me. Came into this world to rescue
me, take upon Himself the form of sinful flesh, to be made like
unto His brethren, yet without sin. Came into this world thirty-three
and a half years to walk before God. And this was the Father's
statement concerning Him. This is my beloved Son, in whom
I'm well pleased. You hear him. He obeyed God and
established righteousness as a man. A man had to please God. A man pleased God. And God exalted him, the God-man
mediator. He was exalted into heaven. And
that man, The representative, the husband of his people, is
sitting on the throne of God because he's God and man. This is what Scripture says concerning
him, Micah 7, 18-19, Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth
iniquity, and passeth by the transgression? Now listen to
this, who he does it for. of the remnant of his heritage.
Who is a God like you? He retaineth not his anger forever,
because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again. He will have
compassion upon us. He will subdue our iniquities,
and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Who is a God like our God? We're not bargaining with Him.
He's not a bargainer. He's God. David said, our God's
in the heavens. He's done whatsoever He's pleased. But who's a God like you that
continually, who pardoneth, who continually pardons iniquity,
continually passes by the transgression of His people? Why? Because He
ever delights to show mercy. ever delights to turn his people
to him, turn himself to them. And he
delights not only to pardon their iniquity, but Scripture here
reveals that he's pleased to destroy the very dominion of
sin in his people. Soon he's going to separate us
from the very presence of it. He has and ever will cast his
people's sins into the depth of the sea. What sea? That precious
fountain. The blood of his precious Son.
The sea of that precious blood that was shed at Calvary. When
I see the blood, I'm going to pass over you. Hallelujah. He sent redemption to his people.
He hath commanded, He hath ordered, He hath ordained His covenant
forever. And the Scripture says, holy
and reverent is His name. Sacred and terrible is what that
means. Not terrible in a bad, but terrible
in reverential. His essence, His authority, His
position, His character, holy and reverent is His name. That's
what the name means. How reverently ought we to speak
and to think upon Him. I want to. I want to. Lord, help me and forgive me
when I don't. I'm not going to go into verse
10, but just look at it. The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. Holy and reverent is His name.
The fear, the respect of the Lord, in that word beginning
there, it doesn't mean the start. It doesn't mean the start. What
it means is the first place. The chief part. That's what that
means. The fear, the reverence of the
Lord. is the first place, the chief
part of wisdom. Man fears God. That's a wise
man. Wise man. Praise you the Lord. Say hallelujah to the Lord. I'll say hallelujah with my whole heart in the assembly
of the upright, in the congregation, Why? He sent redemption to his
people. Commanded, commanded that everlasting
covenant. Holy and Reverend is his name.
Lord bless the word to our heart. For Christ's sake.